Friday, February 26, 2010

EXPECTED EXAMINERS STATUS IN INDIAN PATENT OFFICE -2010

Why it is necessary to recruit new examiners? Controller General of Patents, Design and Trade Marks and Geographical Indications Registry, P. H. Kurian informed at the Confederation of Indian Industry's (CII) 7th IP summit that about 70,000 patent application examinations are in the pipeline for process and examination in the country. It may take at least three to four years to grant a patent under the present capacity of 250 examiners which can process 15,000 applications per year but with the combined manpower which will total up to 407 examiners, the patent office is expected to do processing of 30,000 patents per year.

How many examiners will be recruited? The government has decided to recruit another 257 patent examiners to expedite the process of patent scrutiny and its disposal.

Is any chance of recruiting more than 257?Kurian also said that in case there is increased filing, then the government may consider further increase in the number of patent examiners.

Government expenditure on this project: The government will be spending Rs 3.5 crore for the whole project, which is slated to commence by March 2010.

What is the present status of examiner in office? There are only 150 patent examiners to examine the patent applications and various other processes as against about 70,000 patent applications that are in the pipeline for process and examination in the country.

Who will hold the responsibility of recruitment? CSIR Recruitment and Assessment Board (RAB) will do the recruitment of 257 officers across the country." The entire recruitment and training procedures are expected to be completed by December this year. All these new 257 officers will be ready to work by April or May 2011 which may help in reducing the huge burden of pending patent applications.

When notification will come? The patent office will soon publish the notification for issue of applications for candidates by March, after which they will start with the recruitment of the officers.